Consumed by Darkness
by 14blynnder
Summary: Complete darkness doesn't come all at once, it takes time to consume you. When it does, there is no telling if there will ever be a release. First attempt at a fiction, rating subject to change.
1. Chapter 1

Drip….drip….drip….

That was all she could hear, all she could think. Count them again and again. Drip…drip….drip.

It was the only thing that meant that time had come to a halt altogether. Beyond that, her mind and her body had lost all track and semblance of time. Pain, hunger, thirst, more pain, more hunger, extreme thirst. Would it end? Even death may seem a welcome escape after everything.

She had long since given up on screaming and crying for help, for anyone. The few times she managed to be conscious long enough to even give a short cry, she was silenced with a brutal kick to some part of her body, her midsection was a particular favorite it seemed. Her hands were bound behind her and her only defense was to try to shrink inside herself, to become as small as possible.

Step…step…step….

Something new, a change in routine. Someone, whoever it was, was pacing. Back and forth. Five steps across, back another five. It's amazing how intrigued one can be with the simple sound of footsteps. Intrigued and terrified at the same time, the latter growing steadily in her stomach.

Step…step…step…voices murmuring…voices? There was someone else now? The never were distinguishable through the door, but she heard men's voices. Occasionally she could make out a word, only a few,

No, no more. She didn't think she could handle it. The darkness, complete darkness in that damp room and now the growing threat of another person, what could be next?

"…ship…..three days…..useful…."

Ship. Three days. Useful? There were too many questions, fragments of nightmares and possibilities that swarmed her already murky mind. It's incredible how a few days without nourishment can leave a mind in a cold haze.

"…he …come…her?"

"No….feed….dies…."

He? Who was he? Ship, three days, him, food, useful, food…

Finally, after another round of countless drips, the door opened. It was always dark, she could only make out the outline of the man, her captor. It always seemed familiar, like someone she knew. That life seemed so far away, almost a dream amongst the pain and fatigue. He never spoke directly to her, knowing it could easily give his identity away. Her hands were not loosed, he simply held food in front of her and she ate out of his hand. Demeaning, degrading, but thankful nonetheless for it she ate trying not to think of anything else. Finally, after a piece of bread and a bite of cheese, he put a flask to her mouth and she drank, gulping what she could without choking. She tried to ignore the burn as it went to her stomach, knowing it might actually bring a sense of relief, knowing the taste of whiskey now will dull her senses a little further. Still, it was liquid, and she needed it.

He sat back, his face still in the shadows. Pulling a long draw from the flask himself, he sighed. A tired sigh, like one after a long ride or argument. She waited for him to leave, to drink again, to do anything, but he just sat. Her mind started to race, could he want something else? Something she feared he was going to do? But no, he still just sat. She pulled herself up to a sitting position and still he did nothing. She shook her head, clearing the hair from her eyes. Still, he did nothing. Gathering what few nerves she had, she slowly and silently brought her legs underneath her, her heart pound so loudly in her ears she was sure he heard something, but still he never moved. Her legs shook as she stood, heart pounding out of her chest.

Nothing.

Like a doe waiting for the hunter to strike, she waited, staring at him as he still sat. Finally, she moved away towards the door.

Like the doe, she wasn't expecting the hunter to move. And like the doe, she lost.

He grabbed her by the waist, laughing as he effortlessly picked her up. She still never caught a glimpse of his face, but his body felt familiar. And that laugh, it couldn't be! He would never…..

The last sight she saw was the wall rushing towards her, then darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

Drip…drip…drip….

Still the same sound, same sense of time passing. Only this time she was completely blind, her captor had blindfolded her after her last attempt at freedom. She could feel the residue of blood on her face from her impact with the wall. The pain in her head was still throbbing and if sight were possible, she was sure she would have flashes of pain pass before her eyes.

There was no knowing how long she had been unconscious, not that time mattered anymore. What did matter? She could still hear the constant and almost comforting drip of water-she presumed- and now blindly sought for it. Her hands still bound she awkwardly scooted towards the sound. Her thirst was extreme and it drove her to the sound of a liquid, caring not what or where it came from. Finally, she felt a dampness seep through her skirts. She had to be close! The dripping stopped and she could only hope it meant that it was falling on her, and blessedly she felt it run down her arm. Never in her life did she think she would celebrate that sweet moist sensation- a few drops of water falling on her tongue. She stayed there as long as her body could handle the cold damp floor, moving only far enough away to be out of the puddle but close enough to find it again.

There were no voices now, not that she could hear, only the sounds of her own breathing.

Cold, dark, and hungry. That was really all that mattered to her now, finding a remedy for her basic needs. Basic? She almost laughed at herself. At one point in her life revolved around music, nothing else mattered, no need for anything else. Music sustained her, lifted her, and brought a sensation of life to her soul she didn't know was possible. Food and warmth seemed only mere obstacles, frivolous items that distracted her from her true love. And now, she would gladly give almost anything she had to have those once-frivolous items, to survive and escape this hell.

* * *

'She must be awake' he thought. He could hear her shuffling around, no doubt trying to find some sense of comfort. Comfort, ha! She had no idea what real comfort was, what sacrifices had to be made for such a thing. He had made sacrifices his entire life, only to have his sense of comfort destroyed by the likes of her. Life was normal, pleasant even. He knew what to expect and those around him expected it as well.

One girl, one stupid girl and her wretched voice changed that, for everyone. No one knew what storm was brewing underneath the opera house. No one knew the damage it could cause, its repercussions felt all across the city. It was not just the star crossed lovers who were in danger of losing their precious way of life.

If she was gone, could life return? Could there be a sense of peace? It was really the only hope that he clung to now. The only reason that he considered going through with this.

A knock at the door, just one. The only one given to give a clue as to the other person behind the door. He quietly got up and cracked the door, then allowing entry.

"Is she still alive?"

"Of course, otherwise you think I would still be here, waiting to be found by some snooping passerby? Or even worse, him?"

"Has she said much? Tried anything?"

"Just one little attempt at flight, but the bird has forgotten her wing is broken. She is blindfolded now."

"I'll keep watch here for a while, you go. We can't afford to have you be missed. And when you return bring something for her to change into, she needs to be somewhat presentable in a couple of days."

"Keep an eye, she is an actress remember, and trained by HIM."

He left his companion and their guest, venturing back into his world, a world that would soon be right again.

* * *

Again with the voices, voices she couldn't decipher, only knowing that they were her reason for being here, for this pain.

'Why? Why now? She had done what they had asked her to do, and later done what she felt was best in her heart. Could they not see it? She made her choice to be free of all of the confines of that life, only to find an entirely new meaning for the word confine.

Step…step….step….

Closer and closer, she knew he was coming to her prison. Though still blind, she could hear him coming, feel him walking on the wooden floor. The door opened and not being able to stop herself she cowered, trying in vain to hide. The steps drew closer still, stopping right in front of her. She could hardly bring herself to breathe.

"Please" she whispered.

Before she could even finish breathing one word her head snapped back from the force of the blow. If she thought her head had hurt before, it was crippling now.

"Women only speak when spoken to, and I never asked you to."

It was a new voice, unfamiliar, but it sent a cold shiver down her spine. This creature seemed worse than the last, his voice almost frighteningly calm despite his physical strength.

"I will release your hands, allow you to wash and feed yourself. Any attempts at freedom will bring a heavy price. Understood?"

"Ye.."

Again, her head exploded in pain. His voice, still calm, answered her confusion.

"You can answer without speaking. You will learn your place. So I'll ask you again, do you understand the conditions of your loosed bonds?"

Silently she nodded, although even that slight movement caused a wave of nausea to swell within her. She felt her hands being released and immediately raised them to her eyes to remove the blindfold, only to have them slapped away.

"Do you need to see to eat?"

Again silent, she shook her head. That voice, so calm and almost reassuring, was now bringing a different kind of pain, a new sense of hopelessness. She quietly sat, waiting for any clue as to how to act now, and she heard a bowl be placed before her. Waiting still, she felt something drop in her lap, a small bundle of some kind. She didn't dare reach for it until she was told, unsure her head could take another blow.

"Eat now; use the bundle rag to wash yourself when you are finished. There is water in the basin for you. I'm within sight, I warn you not to try anything."

Hands shaking she grasped for the small bundle, unwrapping it to find what felt like bread. She rasied it to her mouth, savoring the smell of food and the sensation of chewing. Finishing her small meal, she felt for the basin on the floor, trying not to spill the precious liquid. She raised it to her lips, drinking and feeling a sense of relief as it cooled her aching throat. Finally, she used what water remained to soak the rag and tried her best to clean her head, not daring to move the blindfold. It was amazing what a little food, water, and a clean face can do for a person, even in such circumstances as this. Her mind felt clear, almost normal and her hands had regained some of their steadiness. With a body that was now somewhat fulfilled, her mind started to work.

Where was he now? Had he left the room? Was he still right next to her?

With her eyes still wrapped she had no way to tell visually, but she stopped her motions and listened. A musician learns to read even the smallest of sounds, to pick up minute details that the common ear ignores. She heard him breathing, somewhat further away than she expected. Surely he wouldn't see her if she tried to look around, to get a glimpse of him. She picked up the rag again, using it to wipe the small flecks of dried blood from her hair.

Oh, how she will remember the next moments, the few precious moments.

Her hand came down as if to wipe under her eyes and she caught the blindfold with a finger, barely enough to move it just to see a flash of the light in the room. Just enough to give her a false sense of hope, to think she might see something worth seeing. But alas, like the man had said before, her wing was broken, whether she knew it or not.

Her hand was slapped away and she was wrenched up by her hair, a small cry leaving her lips. She felt hands grab her face, pressure in her jaw to the point she thought it would surely break.

"Just couldn't help yourself could you? One gift of freedom and this is how you repay me? By ignoring my repeated warnings? Foolish girl, stupid vile wench. When will you ever learn?"

His grip moved to her throat, cutting off her air and voice in a swift motion. Her eyes began to blur, it wouldn't take much at this point to kill her.

'Please' she begged silently. 'Please let it be the end.'

As quickly as it started, it stopped. He dropped her to the ground, leaving her in a gasping heap as he retrieved the items he had brought.

Silently, again his breathing disturbingly calm, he set to work. He moved quickly, at least as far as she could tell. Almost like he had done this before…?

Her hands were brought in front of her, only not bound together this time. She could only guess what his plan was, not going to be tied up again? Instead, her hands felt smooth soft silk. Silk? Really? As she pondered this, her hand was forced into a fist and the silk wrapped around it, tightly binding it to a point where her fingers could not move. Quickly, the binding around her hands was secured around her wrist and her other hand received a similar treatment.

She didn't think anything was worse than having her hands bound behind her, but this was a definite low. Now she had movement of her arms, but her hands were completely useless, as though they were no longer a part of her body. She felt pulled up again by her hair, only this time to a semi-sitting position. She almost felt like she was half lying in her captors' lap and she began to tremble, afraid of what was next.

"Do not fear that from me woman, I would not sink so low as to bring myself to touch you beyond what is required. "

Required? This was required?

Another layer of blindfold was secured around her eyes, this one larger and doing more to hold her hair back from her face. For a second she was almost grateful, having the itchiness off of her for a few moments, but it didn't last. Her head was forced to the side and she began to feel a warm sensation by her ear. The warmth grew, and burned, and was forced down inside her ear. She couldn't understand until the end, it was wax. A mass of hot wax mixed with something was shoved inside her ear, and she realized what was happening.

Ear plugs. Hot, burning ear plugs that she had no way of removing. Ear plugs that would cut off her only sense of the world. Her sight was blinded, her voice crippled by fear, and now her hearing robbed of her, cutting her off from her cold world completely.

She panicked, crying out, struggling, anything to escape this. There was nothing she could do, her mouth felt the hard smack of a hand and she tasted blood in her mouth. She could only shed tears as a gag was forced into her mouth and then her head turned the other way.

"As I said, you will learn your place."

Tears ran down her cheeks as again, she felt the wax burn its way into her ear, slowly drowning out all sound as it was forced further down.

And then…..silence.

* * *

For those of you reading, I appreciate all comments and criticism, I'm just starting my venture into this world. I have chosen a slightly different writing style, characters are not immediately revealed and this is done intentionally. As the story progresses others will be introduced in such a way that you believe you may know who it is, but it may not. Again, just an experiment, I want to see if it works or not.

Thank you for reading.


	3. Chapter 3

It was quiet, always quiet now. There was no laughter, no seemingly mindless humming, just the melancholy of an empty home. His home that once had warmth and beauty now only bore a cold stillness. He would even be glad for her soft cries, anything to keep his mind off the inevitable- she was gone.

Thinking back he tried to pull the pieces together. Didn't he offer her the world? Anything she could have asked for he would have moved heaven and hearth to provide, but what she wanted he simply couldn't give. In all reality there was no shame in admitting it and in turn that reality mocked him with its simplicity. He wasn't enough. Could he ever accept that? The truth would send him into a vicious cycle of confusion, anger, betrayal, and finally sorrow. Over and over he ran it all through his mind and still came to the final conclusion.

She was gone.

Would nothing bring him peace? Nothing that would have normally soothed his nerves had any impact. He felt like an open puncture wound, deep and penetrating and no real measure of relief possible. Like the wound, he felt open and exposed, his inner core horribly vulnerable to outside forces. This wound, like a puncture, cannot easily be stitched in an effort to speed up the healing process. It had to close on its own accord, agonizingly slow and so easily reopened.

His life though full of unexpected twists, especially as of late, was manageable. He could count on a certain sense of control, able to use his influence and those around him to achieve his goals. Didn't he accomplish something? That night, despite the odds, did he not get what he wanted? Didn't she perform how he had planned? Didn't he ultimately make the final play?

He did and still, no peace. Without her, there never would be.


	4. Chapter 4

The new arrangements, though quite startling at first, were beginning to be quite pleasant. Granted he found it to be slightly barbaric, but that was the point. He had returned to the small flat, bringing the new clothing and food for their guest as promised and found that his companion had made some….improvements.

She was no longer locked in the back room, instead curled on the floor near the small stove. He was impressed with his comrades' new tactics of binding her hands and was grateful for the gag in her mouth. He was always nervous she would start screaming again.

Still afraid to speak, knowing it would disclose his identity to her immediately if he did, he motioned for the other man to come close.

"She will hear us," he whispered.

Calmly his companion in his even voice replied, "Not anymore".

"Did you…"

"Don't be ridiculous. I used an old technique. Her ears are stopped and her hands are bound as such that she cannot remove them."

"Brilliant."

His worry evaporated and for a moment he felt like he didn't have to hide.

"Everything is still arranged?"

"Yes, she will be on the ship, provided the coming storm doesn't delay its departure."

He glanced out the small window to see the clouds growing increasingly dark.

"Pray it doesn't, I want this to be over as quickly as possible. Every day we wait is a day we could get caught."

"Relax my friend, all is going according to plan."

"I am not your friend, nor do I care for you. This is business, nothing more."

"Right. Go on then, I'll be here for the night."

With a last look at their captive, the other man silently left, sinking into the growing dusk.

"What to do now…" he smiled.

In a perverse way, he enjoyed her total silence. She had no way of knowing what was happening around her and relied completely on him. He pulled a chair near the stove all the while watching her. He was sure she felt his steps come close, but she still lay quiet, curled on her side. None too gently, he grabbed her bound hands and pulled her so that she knelt in front of him. Settling into the chair, he watched for a response from her. She did nothing, simply sitting in front of him.

He studied her face, noting the raw flesh around her mouth from the gag. Her already pale skin now lacked any color, instead had a sickly pallor to it. Curious to the double blindfold, he examined it more closely. While the primary one was sufficient, the second layer covered her ears as well as her upper face. Reaching to touch her, she flinched as soon as contact was made.

"Afraid of me are you? I just want to see what your other host has come up with."

He spoke quietly, partially to himself but also to test these so-called ear stops. Holding her head with one hand he pulled the second blindfold up with the other. Her ear was completely full of what looked like candle wax and pieces of cotton. Mixed together it held fast and completely sealed her ear off.

"Never would of thought of that," he muttered.

Pulling the cloth back over her ears he reached around for the gag. He loosened it and her hands immediately went to her mouth in a futile attempt to soothe the raw skin there. With her hands bound into silk-covered fists she could only rub her stump of a hand across it. He brought a small cup filled with water and held it in front of her as a final test of her hearing.

"Are you thirsty?"

Nothing. No response.

Smiling, knowing that she had no clue, he brought the cup to her lips. Again she flinched so he grabbed a fist full of hair to hold her still. Slowly he allowed the water to pour into her mouth allowing her to drain the cup. Again he filled it and watched her take her fill.


End file.
